Bolivar and Caviar
Photo by Fall 2006 IRP Fellow Jacob Silberberg.
The leftward shift sweeping Latin America represents the most significant economic and social development in the region since a wave of leftist and populist governments were overthrown in the 1970s. Since 1998, eight states have elected leftist leaders who openly question Washington's development consensus: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Venezuela.
At the centre of this broad move to the left is Hugo Chavez, the polarising leader of Venezuela who has assumed the mantle of Simon Bolivar and Fidel Castro - but this time with swollen oil fields to add to his bite. Despite massive protests early in his presidency, and a 2002 coup attempt favoured by the Bush administration, Chavez remains the central protagonist in a continent-wide move toward stronger labour rights, indigenous rights, robust national industry and a reduced role for foreign multinational corporations.
View more of Silberberg's photos.